The US economy expanded 2.3 percent in the second quarter with the help of consumer spending. Although the Federal Reserve said it will keep interest rates near zero, the economic growth means a hike is still a possibility.

The US economy added 223,000 jobs in June, and the unemployment rate fell to 5.3 percent. While factors like slow wage growth and low participation remain a concern, hopeful long-term prospects for workers were given an extra boost by President Obama and the Labor Department this week.

Nearly a third of Americans say they do not have any emergency savings, according to a new report. Yet, Millennials are the most likely out of all age groups to have enough funds to cover them for a few months.

US existing home sales beat economists's May expectations, accelerating to their fastest pace since November 2009. But the possibility of buyers shut out of the market still looms thanks to rising prices and mortgage rates.

Even in industries with traditional schedules, workers are more likely to do their job outside regular office hours and respond to work e-mails off the clock. That flexibility can lead to better work/life balance, but at the risk of blurring the boundaries between an employee's job and personal life.

Existing home sales rose 3.2 percent to a 5.49 million annualized pace in June as stable job prospects and a much-improved economy encouraged buyers. But thanks to shifting demographics and the lingering effects of the housing crash, more Americans are still renting than they have in decades.

The Labor Department released detailed guidelines this week for determining whether businesses should designate their workers as "employees" or "independent contractors," and suggested that the latter classification has been used a bit to liberally as companies re-organize and streamline costs.

US retail sales fell 0.3 percent in June, a far cry from analysts' expectations for a modest gain. As the economy has recovered well elsewhere, the weakness in the consumer sector has weighed heavily on the Federal Reserve’s eventual decision to finally raise long-term interest rates.

The same amount of cash goes much further in states like Mississippi and Missouri than it does in expensive areas like Washington D.C. or Hawaii. But do better infrastructure and urban amenities make up for it?

Despite an historic reduction in global poverty from 2001-2011, the emergence of a global middle class is still just an aspiration, according to a Pew Research center study. Still, experts expect the pattern of raised living standards worldwide to continue.

US existing home sales beat economists's May expectations, accelerating to their fastest pace since November 2009. But the possibility of buyers shut out of the market still looms thanks to rising prices and mortgage rates.

Foreclosure activity in the US is now at a 19-month-high, just one year after foreclosure activity was at an eight-year low. The good news? This is most likely a temporary hiccup as distressed home owners finally hand over their house keys to banks.

Retail sales rebounded strongly last month, and a revised March posted the measure's biggest monthly gain in five years. The May retail sales result indicates that the strong job market finally is starting to bear fruit for the consumer economy.

The US economy added an impressive 280,000 jobs in May, and the unemployment rate hit 5.5 percent. Friday’s report, though undeniably encouraging, comes as the idea of employment, and what constitutes a traditional employer/employee relationship, is becoming more muddled.

Pending home sales, a measure of contracts that have been signed (but not finalized) for home purchases, climbed to a nine-year high in April. Combined with a surge in new home sales, the strong pending sales data bodes well for the months ahead.

Janet Yellen said Friday that the Federal Reserve is still on track to raise rates later this year. She was cautious in her assessment of the job market, despite an unemployment rate nearing what many would consider full-strength.

Existing home sales fell to a 5.04 million annualized pace in April, even though homes sold at their fastest clip in nearly two years. The housing market is facing the same conundrum as other areas of the economy: things are improving, but not enough to translate into a change in the way most people live.

Gas prices tumbled to rarely seen lows in late 2014 and early 2015, leaving many Americans with a little more pocket money than usual – money that didn’t go to a new pair of designer shoes or paying down student debt.